A couple of things; first of all take a black or red sharpie and out line the cutting line so that it's easy to see. Place your fabric just on the outside of the cutting lines so that there wont' be much wasted fabric. The other thing to remember is that cutting the grain is just as important now as when you are cutting by hand. There really isn't much wasted fabric but a lot of saved time. When I got mine I went thru all of my scraps and started cutting anywhere from 1 in to 5in squares and put them in to clear small totes. I now have them for projects from appliquing or quilting but they aren't scrunched up in a bag. The more you use it the more you'll love it and be glad you have it.